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I'm a Corporate expatriot with a thirty-year background in advertising and public relations turned liberal political blogger. In addition to writing for hypocrisy, I also contribute to the Political Voices of Women Community, OpEd News, and Open Salon.

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Oops, we did it again

June 13th, 2009 • Deb Della Piana
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congressman-mark-kirkI’m thinking that they can’t help themselves. The GOP disintegration has become a self-fulfilling prophecy, and the latest self-immolating buffoon is Representative Mark Kirk, junior congressman from Illinois. Congressman Kirk’s less-than-excellent adventure took him to none other than China. You know, China: America’s largest debt holder. While he was there, Kirk took it upon himself to tell Chinese officials not to trust America’s budget numbers. If you needed more proof that the circus has lost its ringmaster, I’d say this qualifies. Better still, he’s back in the good old USA and is bragging about his actions.

Now, I’m pretty sure that if this had been a junior congressman of the pinko liberal Democratic persuasion, Bill O’Lielly and Boss Limbaugh would be screaming “Treason!” I’m not sure I’d go as far as calling this treason. No. Treason was George Bush approving the release of CIA covert operative Valerie Plame’s name to the media. That was indeed treason. Mr. Kirk’s actions are a combination of hubris and stupidity, two hallmarks of the present GOP brain trust. The thinking is that China is savvy enough to recognize this as a partisan political shot being delivered by a relatively obscure junior politician trying to make a name for himself. I mean, after all, Congressman Kirk is interested in running for the senate.

I’m not sure this was critical thinking on Kirk’s part. The “making a name” part is easy. It’s public relations 101. The real trick is finding the right thing to attach your name to. I don’t think this was it, Congressman Kirk.

There Are 2 Responses So Far. »

  1. Comment by ihentschel on 13 June 2009:

    Nearly every time I read about the further misadventures and mis-statements of someone like Kirk, I can’t help but wonder if we should not holding a memorial service for the death of intelligence. I will skip looking for Obama’s birth certificate: I want to see this guy’s high school diploma.

  2. Comment by Forward on 13 June 2009:

    Obviously Kirk’s handlers didn’t know he was going to say this. They usually keep pretty tight control over him and make him look like he’s a moderate so he can continue to win his blue district. They’ll try to spin it, but he was obviously off the reservation.

    But now that he’s running to take away Obama’s Senate seat in Illinois, he’s going to feel more pressure to leave his moderate brand behind so he can get big bucks from the deep pocket conservatives and corporations (pharmaceutical manufacturers, health insurance companies and financial institutions) to pay for his costly Senate adventure. Hopefully his handlers will steer him to be a little less idiotic.

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